Active Mom Podcast: Pregnancy, Postpartum, Perimenopause, Menopause & Beyond

Send us Fan Mail In Part 2 of this conversation, I’m joined again by Melissa Davidson , specialist pelvic health physiotherapist, clinical educator, and PhD, to go deeper into the clinical realities of pelvic organ prolapse, levator ani avulsions, and pessary use . This episode moves beyond definitions and into what actually matters in practice: clinical decision-making, patient education, and nav...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I sit down with Melissa Davidson, specialist physiotherapist in pelvic health, clinical educator, and PhD, to break down some of the most misunderstood topics in pelvic health. From prolapse to levator avulsions to the role of pessaries, this conversation focuses on what’s actually happening in the body and how we can move away from fear-based messaging toward inf...

Send us Fan Mail What if improving postpartum care in the U.S. didn’t cost anything—but still hasn’t happened? In this episode, I sit down with pelvic floor physical therapist and advocate Gail Zitterkopf, PT, DPT to break down the Optimizing Postpartum Outcomes Act (H.R. 4074) —and why it matters more than most people realize. We get into what this bill actually does, how systems like Medicare, M...

Send us Fan Mail What does pregnancy and postpartum really look like for female athletes—especially at the elite level? And more importantly… are we still treating it like a problem to manage instead of a phase to train through? In this episode of the Active Mom Podcast, I sit down with Emma Brockwell, pelvic health physiotherapist working at the highest levels of women’s sport—including Women’s S...

Send us Fan Mail What does it actually look like to keep running when life shifts in a big way — like pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and becoming a parent? In this episode of the Active Mom Podcast , I’m joined by Laura Norris — certified running coach, science writer, and co-host of the Tread Lightly Podcast . Laura has coached more than 500 runners , from brand-new runners to podium finishers,...

Send us Fan Mail The Active Mom Podcast just crossed 100,000 downloads and 200+ episodes, which honestly feels a little surreal. So for this one, I did something a little different…  In this solo episode, I reflect on how the podcast started back when it was the Active Mom Postpartum Podcast , how it evolved into conversations about pregnancy, postpartum, pelvic floor health, return to running, pe...

Send us Fan Mail Menopause care is changing — but not fast enough. In this episode of the Active Mom Podcast, I sit down with Ingrid Harm-Ernandes, PT — a physical therapist with more than 40 years of experience in women’s health, known as “The Pelvic Detective” on YouTube and author of The Musculoskeletal Mystery: How to Solve Your Pelvic Floor Symptoms . Ingrid has spent decades pushing for earl...

Send us Fan Mail What are we getting right — and wrong — about the hip–pelvic floor connection? In this episode of the Active Mom Podcast , I sit down with Dr. Jenny LaCross, PhD, ATC, PT and Dr. Laurel Proulx, PT, DPT to unpack the evolving conversation around pelvic floor dysfunction, hip mechanics, stress urinary incontinence, and clinical reasoning in women’s health physical therapy. Jenny is...

Send us Fan Mail What starts as a quick run to get out of the house… can end up changing your entire life. In this episode of the Active Mom Podcast , I sit down with running creator Erica Kennedy aka @ inmyrunningerica to talk about how running helped her survive an abusive marriage — and slowly rebuild her confidence, independence, and sense of self one mile at a time. Now she’s the voice behind...

Send us Fan Mail What happens when pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and military fitness standards collide? Because “light duty” doesn’t exactly exist when you’re a soldier… or a mom. In this episode of the Active Mom Podcast , I sit down with Dr. Megan Jones , a civilian physical therapist who has spent nearly her entire career embedded inside the military system, helping pregnant and postpartum s...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, we welcome back Carter Norbo —home health physical therapist, lifelong runner, and mom to two-year-old twins and a five-month-old baby. After narrowly missing qualification for the U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials in 2024 following the birth of her twins, Carter returned to racing postpartum and is now officially qualified for the 2028 Olympic Marathon Trials—just mon...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I sit down with Shannon Rowbury —Olympic bronze medalist, one of the most accomplished middle-distance runners in U.S. history, and Emmy Award winner for her work with NBC’s 2024 Olympic coverage—and Jessica Dorrington , a pelvic floor physical therapist, runner, and all-around grounded voice in pregnancy and postpartum fitness. Together, they co-authored Strong a...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I’m joined by Jenna Schulz, MPT, PhD , a physiotherapist and postdoctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia whose work lives right at the intersection of research and real life. Jenna studies things like inflammation in knee osteoarthritis, female athlete health, and longevity in sport—and more recently, how evidence can actually guide movement during p...

Send us Fan Mail Is Pilates enough?  How much is "enough" protein?  What does "lifting heavy" ACTUALLY mean? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Alyssa Olenick, PhD , founder of Doc Lyss Fitness and creator of The Lyss Method, to break down what the research actually shows about strength training and protein in perimenopause . As a strength athlete, ultramarathon runner, and c...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Active Mom Podcast, I’m joined again by Dr. Rita Deering, PT, DPT, PhD — Associate Professor of Physical Therapy and Director of the Movement Sciences Laboratory at Carroll University. With 18+ years of clinical experience and 15 years specializing in pelvic health, Dr. Deering is a leading researcher in perinatal musculoskeletal health, pregnancy and postpa...

Send us Fan Mail Coming in at #1 on our list of top podcasts for 2025 is my conversation with Christina Prevett. We close Season 4 of the podcast catching up with @dr.christina_prevett—pelvic health physiotherapist, competitive weightlifter, CrossFit athlete, mom of two, & total powerhouse for strength training across the lifespan. (rumor has it she bought a Garmin watch & is now a runner...

Send us Fan Mail Coming in at #2 on our list of top podcasts for 2025 is my conversation with Lauren Colesco-Semple. What if most of what you’ve been told about fitness, hormones, and nutrition as a woman… isn’t actually true? In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple, PhD aka @drlaurencs1—muscle physiology researcher, science communicator, and co-owner of the MASS Research Review...

Send us Fan Mail Told to slow down during pregnancy & postpartum? Not necessarily! 🏃‍♀️💪" It's research update time again with @exerciseandpregnancy! In this episode, Margie Davenport, Associate Professor at the @ualberta & former national team athlete, joins us again to give another update on research in pregnancy and postpartum exercise including: the  🔹2025 Canadian guideli...

Send us Fan Mail Coming in at #4 on our list of top podcasts for 2025 is my conversation with Dr. Susan Clinton. In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Susan Clinton—a clinician, educator, and coach with over 40 years of experience helping women move through complex health transitions with clarity and confidence. Susan brings deep insight into the connections between the gut, hormones, and nervous sys...

Send us Fan Mail Coming in at #5 on our list of top podcasts for 2025 is my conversation with Lindsey Bomgren. What does fitness really look like for moms? It’s not matching sets and flawless form. It’s stopping mid-workout for a diaper change. It’s navigating diastasis, prolapse, leaking, exhaustion, and a brain that hasn’t slept in three years. It’s figuring out how to move in a body that’s been...

Send us Fan Mail In this powerful season finale, I sit down with journalist and author Maggie Mertens (@maggiejmertens) to unpack the untold history—and future—of women in sport, running, and motherhood. Maggie is a Seattle-based writer whose work spans gender, athletics, and culture. Her book Better Faster Farther: How Running Changed Everything We Know About Women breaks down the myths that held...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I’m taking you with me down into the Grand Canyon—21 miles, 13 hours, eight of us ages 44–53 (seven women, one very patient man), and every bit of trail talk you can imagine.  What started as “Can we actually do this?” turned into the most honest, hilarious, and wide-open conversation about pelvic health, perimenopause, and how physical therapy for women has compl...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I sit down with Sophie Carter, an ultra runner, coach, and mom of five who made headlines for running a 100km ultra while pregnant. Sophie has also co-authored a paper on endurance running during pregnancy, adding valuable insight to a growing body of research that challenges traditional views on what’s possible for women in sport. As a coach, she’s passionate abo...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode, I sit down with Leah Yingling, an internationally ranked trail and ultrarunner from Salt Lake City, Utah. Leah has achieved multiple top-10 finishes at Western States and UTMB, and has represented Team USA at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships. In addition to her racing career, she’s the co-host of the Trail Network Podcast, works full-time in Popu...

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of the Active Mom Podcast , Carrie Pagliano, PT, DPT, OCS, WCS, sits down with Dr. Kate Mihevc Edwards, PT, DPT, OCS —founder of Precision Performance Running Medicine Clinic in Atlanta , creator of the RUNsource app , and co-host of Interdisciplinary Case Miles . Kate brings over 15 years of experience in running medicine and shares her insights on: Why an interdi...